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Iraqi Forces Launch Night Raid on Armed Factions

An Iraqi security guard near the US embassy in the Green Zone (File Photo: AFP)
An Iraqi security guard near the US embassy in the Green Zone (File Photo: AFP)
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Iraqi Forces Launch Night Raid on Armed Factions

An Iraqi security guard near the US embassy in the Green Zone (File Photo: AFP)
An Iraqi security guard near the US embassy in the Green Zone (File Photo: AFP)

The Iraqi government launched a night raid on armed factions accused of firing Katyusha rockets into the Green Zone, the Iraqi army, and international coalition forces.

The government's recent move came within the framework of previous pledges of Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi to “restrict weapons to the state” and “no party or force has the right to operate outside the state.”

Kadhimi previously warned Katyusha-launching groups that they will be prosecuted according to the anti-terrorism law.

The Iraqi Joint Operations Command issued a statement announcing that the Iraqi army arrested 14 suspects for firing rockets at the Baghdad International Airport and heavily guarded Green Zone.

The statement added that the arrest was based on intelligence information that the group had previously targeted those areas with gunfire and rockets. It added that a special investigation committee was formed by the Interior Ministry to complete the investigation on the suspects.


The statement also revealed that the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Services (CTS) conducted the raid to detain suspects who are "wanted by the Iraqi judicial council".

“The defendants have been handed over to the security services until the investigation is completed and a decision is made by the judiciary,” concluded the statement.

Following the raid, armed factions paraded over 30 government vehicles in the Green Zone at Friday dawn, and it approached the headquarters of the Counter-Terrorism Services, the statement stated that these parties do not want to be part of the state and seek to remain outside the authority of the Commander in Chief of legal armed forces.

The Operations Command stressed that this behavior is a threat to the state’s security and its democratic political system, and cannot be allowed under any pretext.

Armed groups affiliated with Iran tried to promote that some of the detainees were released and the prime minister offered his apologies for the raid, which was denied by the release of the statement.

Although the joint command did not name which group the detainees belonged to, security observers and sources close to the government said they were members of Iraqi Hezbollah Brigades, which are loyal to Iran.

The sources said that the security units raid targeted the group’s headquarters in al-Buaytha area, in the south of Baghdad, and indicated that the operation was preceded by another operation, during which three members of the brigades were arrested.

The members confessed to carrying out the Katyusha shelling that occurred near the Monument of the Unknown Soldier in the Green Zone and the headquarters of the CTS near Baghdad International Airport.

The government and groups supporting it insist that the operation targeted the outlaws, and not members of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), as sources close to Hezbollah Brigades stressed it was necessary to maintain the relationship between the PMF and the CTS.

Member of Asaib Ahl al-Haq Naeem al-Aboudi tweeted wondering who would benefit from sowing discord between the PMF and the Counter-Terrorism Services, warning against the consequences it could bring to Iraq.

Former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki stressed that PMF is an element of power for the Iraqi nation and country.

“We should respect this force and maintain their position,” he tweeted.

He added that Iraq also honors its CTS forces and their sacrifices for the nation, noting that it is impermissible to attack these and other national security forces. Maliki went on to call for restraint from all sides and resolve problems without foreign intervention.

In addition, the deputy secretary-general of the Iraqi al-Nujaba Movement, Nasr al-Shammari, warned against any attempt to attack the PMF and create internal sedition in these difficult times in the country amid the spread of the outbreak.

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Arab World

Middle East, European FMs Hold Talks on Regional Developments in Istanbul

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani (L), Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah (2-L), French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot (3-L), German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (4-L), Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (4-R), British Foreign Minister Edward Miliband (3-R), Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar (2-R) and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty (R) pose for a group photograph during the R4 and E3 foreign ministers' meeting in Istanbul, Türkiye , 23 October 2026. (EPA)
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani (L), Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah (2-L), French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot (3-L), German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (4-L), Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (4-R), British Foreign Minister Edward Miliband (3-R), Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar (2-R) and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty (R) pose for a group photograph during the R4 and E3 foreign ministers' meeting in Istanbul, Türkiye , 23 October 2026. (EPA)
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Middle East, European FMs Hold Talks on Regional Developments in Istanbul

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani (L), Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah (2-L), French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot (3-L), German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (4-L), Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (4-R), British Foreign Minister Edward Miliband (3-R), Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar (2-R) and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty (R) pose for a group photograph during the R4 and E3 foreign ministers' meeting in Istanbul, Türkiye , 23 October 2026. (EPA)
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani (L), Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah (2-L), French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot (3-L), German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (4-L), Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (4-R), British Foreign Minister Edward Miliband (3-R), Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar (2-R) and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty (R) pose for a group photograph during the R4 and E3 foreign ministers' meeting in Istanbul, Türkiye , 23 October 2026. (EPA)

Foreign ministers from eight European and Middle Eastern countries met in Istanbul on Friday in an unprecedented format for talks on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and crises across the Middle East.

Ministers from Britain, France and Germany -- the so-called E3 -- as well as Italy met counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan and Türkiye to discuss the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Yemen, Hormuz -- a crucial trade route blocked in the Iran war -- and ways to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The talks began at an Istanbul hotel overlooking the Bosphorus, after separate meetings of top European diplomats and diplomats from regional countries.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said a new escalation between Iran and the United States "would create nothing but losers and would undoubtedly have very serious consequences for hydrocarbon prices".

"And so the first thing this group of eight countries ... will do is call on both sides to exercise the utmost restraint, because we cannot afford another escalation in the region," he told journalists on the sidelines of the talks in Istanbul.

Italy's Antonio Tajani said the aim was to work for "de-escalation to guarantee freedom of navigation".

"I do not believe the problem can be solved from a purely military standpoint," he said.

"If we want to reopen Hormuz, which is vital for our economies, we must promote dialogue and make Iran understand that this attitude cannot continue."

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty (L), Saudi Foreign Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah (2-L), Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar (3-L), Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (4-L), French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot (4-R), German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (3-R), British Foreign Secretary Edward Miliband (2-R) and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani (R) pose for a group photograph during the R4 and E3 foreign ministers' meeting in Istanbul, Türkiye, 23 October 2026. (EPA)

- 'Iranian tactics' -

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan hosted the meeting as Türkiye stepped up efforts to strengthen its regional role, including through the Makkah Defense Alliance, a defense pact launched with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan in August.

Türkiye has said the pact is not aimed at any specific country and remains open to others, including Egypt.

"Our platform has several advantages, particularly because it is informal and flexible and focuses specifically on the issues we face. It allows us to exchange information and coordinate our positions more effectively," Fidan told reporters.

"We are not aware of any other platform that brings together countries with such different geographical and political backgrounds. Türkiye, in particular, is well placed to play a constructive role in this process."

Cairo has yet to decide whether to join the alliance. On Wednesday, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Egypt would "defend Saudi territory" and would not take part in any attack on Yemen.

Iran-backed Houthis are battling Yemen's legitimate government and have launched attacks on Saudi Arabia.

British foreign minister Ed Miliband's office said ahead of the talks they would essentially revolve around "the Strait of Hormuz and the situation in Saudi Arabia".

It said Miliband would "advocate for a diplomatic solution to the (Hormuz) crisis that restores full navigational rights and freedoms".

He was also to stress "how Iranian tactics are being replicated across the region, with attacks on Saudi Arabia further destabilizing the region and increasing pressure on vital waterways and global chokepoints, such as Bab al-Mandeb and the Suez Canal".

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah attends the meeting of the top diplomats of the R4 mechanism and the European E3 mechanism in Istanbul on October 23, 2026. (AFP)

- 'De-escalation' -

Fidan stressed that regional security required countries in the region to assume responsibility and that Ankara prioritized cooperation mechanisms based on "regional ownership".

"Regional frameworks turn into credible platforms for action and cooperation", he said ahead of the talks.

"Stability cannot simply be imported, and lasting solutions cannot be imposed from outside. Those who live with conflict must play a central role in resolving it," he added.

The eight countries "decided, after very constructive discussions, to continue the work by meeting at regular intervals", Barrot said.

Arab World

Hundreds of Syrians Protest Repeated Israeli Incursions

Syrians wave flags and hold portraits of people who were arrested during Israeli military incursions in southern Syria, as they protest near the United Nations building in Damascus, on October 23, 2026. (AFP)
Syrians wave flags and hold portraits of people who were arrested during Israeli military incursions in southern Syria, as they protest near the United Nations building in Damascus, on October 23, 2026. (AFP)
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Hundreds of Syrians Protest Repeated Israeli Incursions

Syrians wave flags and hold portraits of people who were arrested during Israeli military incursions in southern Syria, as they protest near the United Nations building in Damascus, on October 23, 2026. (AFP)
Syrians wave flags and hold portraits of people who were arrested during Israeli military incursions in southern Syria, as they protest near the United Nations building in Damascus, on October 23, 2026. (AFP)

Hundreds rallied across Syria on Friday condemning Israeli incursions in the country's south including one this week that killed a man with a disability, AFP correspondents and state media reported.

The Israeli military has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria and conducted frequent incursions into its territory since Islamist authorities took power after toppling longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

It also sent troops into a UN-patrolled buffer zone that had separated Israeli and Syrian forces on the mainly Israeli-occupied Golan Heights since 1974.

Protesters rallied in several locations including Damascus and central Syria's Homs, decrying Israeli incursions and attacks in the southern Quneitra and Daraa provinces, state media reported.

An AFP correspondent in Daraa city saw hundreds rallying, some waving Syrian flags.

Protester Taysir al-Hariri told AFP that demonstrators had gathered to "send a message to the world" that Syria stands united "against Israeli incursions and against anyone who is tempted to tamper... with national security".

State television footage of other rallies showed protesters carrying posters reading "We are all Moaz", referring to the man with special needs who Syria said was killed by Israeli fire a day earlier during an incursion in Daraa province.

Syria accuses Israel of violating a 1974 disengagement agreement through repeated incursions in the south, the raiding of homes there and the seizing of dozens of residents, in conjunction with other military activity including shelling.

In Damascus, outside a United Nations building, the family of a Syrian man seized by Israel called for his release, with children holding posters reading "I want my dad".

State media on Friday also reported that Israeli forces advanced in part of Quneitra province and blocked several roads.

Israel has vowed to keep troops in a so-called "security zone" in southern Syria, where it seeks a broader demilitarized area.

Syria and Israel have held negotiations as they seek to reach a security agreement, but Israel remains distrustful of Syria's new authorities.

Arab World

Netanyahu Says Extensive West Bank Military Operation ‘On the Way’ After Attack

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a toast-raising event hosted by his Likud party, in Tel Aviv, Israel, September 17, 2026. REUTERS/Amir Cohen
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Netanyahu Says Extensive West Bank Military Operation ‘On the Way’ After Attack

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a toast-raising event hosted by his Likud party, in Tel Aviv, Israel, September 17, 2026. REUTERS/Amir Cohen

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday warned of an imminent large-scale military operation in the West Bank and vowed to displace some residents of Hebron after Palestinian gunmen killed two soldiers in an attack. The prime minister’s office also said it had instructed the army to close off the occupied West Bank, where the shooting occurred.

The attack, which happened at a checkpoint near the Palestinian city in the southern occupied West Bank, also left three soldiers wounded. It came days before Israeli elections in which Netanyahu is facing a tight race.

The two gunmen who carried out the attack were killed in a shootout with soldiers.

In a visit to Hebron after the attack, Netanyahu said Israeli forces would enter the neighborhood of the attackers and displace its residents.

"We will evacuate the residents, we will go from house to house, we will also seize the weapons there, and all the terrorist infrastructure will be dealt with and destroyed," Netanyahu said, according to his office.

"The defense minister and I are considering a very extensive (army) operation in Judea and Samaria, such as has not been carried out since the Six Day War," Netanyahu added, referring to the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

"The army is ready to execute it and we will set the timing, but it is on the way."

He said the military would apply a model previously used in refugee camps in the northern West Bank. A large-scale military operation dubbed "Iron Wall" launched in January 2025 forcibly displaced tens of thousands of people across several refugee camps, according to the UN rights office.

As of July this year, 33,362 Palestinian refugees displaced from the three camps had not been permitted to return, according to the UN.

Nearly two years on, Israel's military remains present in Jenin refugee camp, which before Iron Wall was a bastion of armed Palestinian militants fighting Israeli occupation.

The army also remains in two refugee camps in the nearby city of Tulkarem.

In all three camps the army demolished dozens of houses in the dense patchwork of alleys in order to ease access for its troops and armoured vehicles, the military said, and set up operational centres for troops in the homes of residents.

"The Jenin refugee camp model is on its way to Hebron," Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on X Friday.

"Every clan neighborhood in Hebron from which the terrorists emerged today will be evacuated of its residents, and the terror infrastructure in the neighborhood will be addressed and dismantled," he said, referring to the large families, or clans, that hold much influence in the city of Hebron.